Job Title: Data Science Interns Needed at UNDP

Background

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy.

In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

Energy is one of UNDP’s six signature solutions – alongside poverty and inequality, governance, resilience, environment, and gender equality – to support countries towards three directions of change: structural transformation, leaving no one behind and resilience.

As per UNDP’s new Strategic Plan 2022-2025, the first objective of UNDP is increasing energy access for those furthest behind.

By speeding up investment in distributed renewable energy solutions, especially for those hardest to reach and in crisis contexts, it aims to increase access to clean and affordable energy for 500 million people.

Second, UNDP will work to accelerate the transition to renewable energy through systems changes that support inclusive, green economies, particularly in countries with low levels of renewable energy generation or poor energy-efficiency improvement rates.

This work will capitalize on technological gains, clean energy innovations and new business models in the energy sector.

The newly established UNDP Sustainable Energy Hub (SEH) will be the arrowhead of UNDP’s new Strategic Plan objectives. The Sustainable Energy Hub will build on UNDP’s existing Energy Portfolio, covering over 100 countries to harness clean energy and support the energy transition as well as on UNDP’s Climate Promise, UNDP’s Sustainable Finance Hub, and UNDP’s Digital offer.

The Sustainable Energy Hub will develop and operationalize, policies, programmes and partnerships to support the realization of UN/UNDP’s Energy Compact, a commitment to help increasing access to clean and affordable energy for 500 million people by 2025, and accelerating and supporting the transition to renewable energy.

Recognizing that change will be disruptive, UNDP will work to ensure that such transitions are just, and that their impact on vulnerable people is understood and duly mitigated.

The intern will work closely to the Sustainable Energy Hub to support the UNDP’s vision to catalyze unprecedented action and partnerships to provide access to sustainable, affordable, and reliable energy to 500 more million people by 2025, and work to accelerate the transition to renewable energy through systems changes that support inclusive green economies.

The intern will provide day-today- research, on the three pillars the Hub is focusing on: closing the gap of energy access, accelerating a just energy transition and increase energy resilience in crises and fragile context.

UNDP is looking for talented, motivated, and enthusiastic intern that will work closely to the SEH to support the with research and analytical skills.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of key functions:

• Contribution to the Energy Moonshot AI initiative using NLP and data science techniques, including refining the knowledge graph and improving the retrieval augmented generative AI
• Support in quantitative and qualitative analytics for tracking UNDP project beneficiaries in sustainable energy.
• Data processing and compilation for knowledge management activities focusing on sustainable energy to create a collection of documents and to clean and process extracted text.
• Ad-hoc support for development and implementation of data analytics and visualizations for SEH briefs and reporting.

Contribution to the Energy Moonshot AI initiative using NLP and data science techniques, including refining the knowledge graph and improving the retrieval augmented generative AI

• Utilize advanced NLP techniques to analyze and interpret complex datasets related to energy projects.
• Develop and refine machine learning models to predict energy trends and outcomes.
• Collaborate with the SEH team in integrating AI solutions for enhancing data-driven decision-making in sustainable energy.

Support in quantitative and qualitative analytics for tracking UNDP project beneficiaries in sustainable energy.  

The Intern will support with research and analytical work to support the development of a database and interactive dashboard for all Vertical and Non-Vertical Fund projects on energy access, energy transition and energy resilience.

• Support extraction of information from project documents and identify the energy related activities. Key documents include the Project Document (ProDoc), Country Programme Document (CDP), Mid-term and Final Evaluation, etc.
• Support the team to develop an interactive dashboard for data visualization and to Provide to automate processes for interacting with and updating the database.
• Assist in the development of methodologies to analyze quantitative and qualitative information to track the impact of sustainable energy projects.

Data processing and compilation for knowledge management activities focusing on sustainable energy to create a collection of documents and to clean and process extracted text.

To support the initiative to compile and process a comprehensive database of knowledge on sustainable energy, the Intern will support in:

• Refining and automating data pipelines to process and clean text data from documents
• Develop structured outputs from the documents for use by the SEH team and for integration into the knowledge graph and for retrieval by the Energy AI
• Support the development of automated and manual systems for management and continuous updates of the document database

Ad-hoc support for development and implementation of data analytics and visualizations for SEH briefs and reporting.

The Intern will support to the SEH team in research activities that include.

Teamwork

• Assist the SEH and staff of research group on research activities related to the UNDP energy-related projects to identify trends and patterns, including literature review, gathering data, drafting reports and other documents.
• Provide hands-on support to analyze and visualize various types of data and prepare reports to communicate the findings to the Sustainable Energy Hub.
• Data cleaning, processing, database management. Including, identify data gaps and work with Country Offices to collect missing information.
• Set up Real-Time Data management pipelines to improve data availability for the SEH team.

  Competencies

  Corporate:

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
• Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

• Technical:

• Background in data management and visualization with a focus on Monitoring and Evaluation activities
• Background in data analytics and research skills relevant to the topic of energy access in off-grid settings and/or green transition;
• Knowledge of policy, innovative business models, and financial mechanisms in low-carbon energy to disrupt existing markets and to bring energy and development benefits to developing countries.
• Knowledge of the social, gender, and governance impact of the just transition.

• Functional:

  Communication

• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, in a simple, concise and persuasive manner.

• Professionalism

• Ability to work and build partnerships with multiple stakeholders and partners across a wide range of disciplines;
• Demonstrated ability in strategic thinking;
• Strong organizational, reporting and writing abilities;
• Able to work independently and remotely with minimal supervision;
• Remains calm, in control and good humored, even under pressure;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback.

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a collaborative team and process.

   

  Required Skills and Experience

  Education
  Applicants to the UNDP internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:

• Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher) in fields such as Data Science, Computer Science, Economics, Energy, or related disciplines;
• Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent) in these disciplines;
• Have graduated with a university degree (as defined above), and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation.

• Experience:

• Relevant work/voluntary/internship experience in research activities related to climate change or sustainable energy, multi-stakeholder initiatives at the domestic and/or international level;
• Knowledge of/familiarity with research activities needed to design and/or implementation of development projects to promote energy investment.  Hands on experience preferred;
• Experience working with a wide set of energy stakeholders, such as the private and financial sector, government, and civil society is an advantage;
• Field experience in energy-related projects in developing countries contexts is desirable;
• Knowledge of, and/or prior experience within, the UN system is considered an advantage.

• Language requirements

• Excellent oral and written communication skulls in English language is required;

• Institutional Arrangements

  The interns will report to the Director of the UNDP Sustainable Energy Hub.

  Interns’ Expenses

  Interns may be given a stipend under conditions prescribed in the section on stipends, below.  Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, passports, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of:

  (a) The nominating institution, related institution or government, which may provide the required financial assistance to its students; or

  (b) The intern.

  Stipend

  Where an intern is not financially supported by any institution or programme, such as a university, government, foundation or scholarship program, a stipend intended to help cover basic daily expenses related to the internship, such as meals and transportation at the duty station, will be paid by UNDP.

  The stipend will be paid on a monthly basis and part-time internship arrangements are prorated accordingly.

  Where an intern is financially supported by an institution, government or third party, UNDP will, subject to the rules of such institution, government or third party, pay the intern the difference, if any, between the external financial support provided and the applicable UNDP stipend.  No other payments of any kind will be made to an intern by the office in connection with an internship agreement.

  Interns will accrue leave at the rate of 1.5 days per month. Any accrued leave days not used by the end of the internship will be forfeited. Any unjustified absences during the internship period exceeding a total of nine days, will be deducted from the monthly stipend.

  Insurance

  Interns are responsible for securing adequate medical insurance for the duration of their internship with UNDP. UNDP will not reimburse the medical insurance of the intern. Any costs arising from accidents and illness incurred during an internship assignment will be the responsibility of the intern.  Applicants for internships must show proof of valid medical insurance for the duty station in which they will intern.  For applicants who are neither nationals or residents of the duty station, the insurance must include adequate coverage in the event of an injury or illness during the internship duration which:

• Requires transportation to the home country or country of residence for further treatment;
• Results in death and requires preparation and return of the remains to the home country, or country of residence.

• UNDP is not responsible for any claims by any parties where the loss of or damage to their property, death or personal injury was caused by the actions or omission of action by the interns during their internship.

  Subsequent Employment

  There is no expectation of employment with UNDP following an internship.  Interns cannot apply for, or be appointed to, any position during the period of their internship.

  Third-party claims

• Knowledge of French is considered an asset.